


Fractured Alliances

by Zeirath



Category: The 100 (TV)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-18
Updated: 2015-12-01
Packaged: 2018-04-21 08:53:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4822877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zeirath/pseuds/Zeirath
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Is there any hope for the Alliance between the Grounders and Arkers?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own anything The 100.
> 
> First Chapter hasn't been Beta'd but all following chapters will be by LucidLucifer
> 
> This Chapter is pretty short, it's been a while since I've written anything creatively, plus I'm in the middle of re-watching both seasons to refresh my memory on events. So I don't expect this to be anything good but thought I'd give it a go~

The wind was whispering through the trees, it would have almost been peaceful if it wasn't for the sleet rain hammering the trees and ground, the chill in the air would be uncomfortable to most. The sun was low in the sky, darkness slowly falling, the thick layer of trees and dark rain clouds smothering what little light there was left.

The weather was no more than an annoyance to the three riders making their way through the thick undergrowth of the forest, though it would have been questionable whether or not the horses would have been more of a hindrance than benefit for the journey they had just made. More of a status symbol than anything, not that the riders required such a thing.

A slight tug of the reins bought the massive steed to a halt, the two riders behind the lead stopped in tandem, the narrow forest path making it almost impossible to pass the lead rider, being in no rush even given the weather they were not fussed, besides they were there to guard not lead.

Digging one foot heavily into the waterlogged mud the mount snorted, chewing on his bit impatiently, he knew they weren't far from camp, food and rest within reach, tossing his head he shook his waterlogged mane, a cold leather clad hand brushed down the side of his neck, instantly bringing his insistence under control, he steadied this foot and waited for further commands, eying off the trees, perfectly alert to any threats around.

Lifting her head towards the sky the Commander sighed softly, tired from the long ride she pulled her hood back slightly letting the rain which had lightened off significantly hit her war painted face, the cold drops were a nice distraction from her thoughts, of where she had been and what was done only seven moons prior. The long trip to the Capitol had taken up most of her time, there had been no news from the scouts that had been sent to monitor Mount Weather, at least not while they had been on the road.

Lexa was nervous, it didn't happen often, being nervous not many times since she had been called to lead her clan but today she was nervous, if there was any news about Clarke and the Skaikru the scouts in her village would know and shortly so would she. She dreaded bad news, if it was bad news however she would just have to take it on the chin, she made a decision for her people. Her people were safe but it could have been a death sentence for the people from the sky.

Pulling her cloak back up to cover her face she nudged her steed forward gently, the horse snorted softly and moved forward obediently, his pace steady and itching to pick up speed but in the thick growth of the forest it would be dangerous for Lexa to allow him take his excitement too far.

A horn blew in the distance, a scout had spotted the approach of the riders, although the Commander would have preferred perhaps a more quiet return she wasn't surprised they had been spotted, the horses also didn't really make for a stealthy approach. As they neared the walls of the camp Lexa could hear yelling and cheering, as the camp came into view she could see the large bonfires, larger she noted than the usual fires they used for cooking and warmth, people were dancing, drinking, feasting, although it had been seven nights since the liberation of her people from Mount Weather the celebrations were still raging on, it seemed unusual to her but she also wasn't surprised, some of their warriors had been missing for a long time, some of them important figures in their clan.

Indra was the first she spotted approaching them from the crowd, as she reached the Commander she bowed her head, showing her respect, a nearby warrior grabbed Lexa's horses reins as she came told a halt. Kicking one leg over the horses back she landed hard on the mud slick ground, the ache as always took her by surprise, she hated long rides, not so much the ride itself but the punishment it legs gave her afterwards.

"Indra," Lexa acknowledged Indra's presence, waving one hand briefly at the man who had taken her horse, giving him permission to leave and take care of him. The man bowed briefly and led him away.

"Heda," Indra replied, falling into Lexa's side as she moved off towards her tent, it was clear the Commander didn't want to join in on the celebrating like everyone else. "I have much to brief you on, Heda."

"I expected as much," Pushing aside the heavy cover to the tent she was pleased to find the air was much warmer inside. Pushing back the hood of her cloak she unclasped her shoulder armor, removing both it and her cloak, hanging them up to dry off, the warm air on her cold skin sent a shiver through her, she turned to face Indra, waiting expectantly, she knew the woman had the information she both craved and feared.

"We have received news from the scouts posted to watch Mount Weather," Indra watched the commander carefully, deciding to continue after a few moments of nothing from Lexa. "The Skaikru emerged victorious from the Mountain, we underestimated their strength."

Lexa could sense the surprise and slight tinge of respect in Indra's voice, the Skaikru continue to change her mind it seemed on their strength, courage and resourcefulness. Lexa felt some of the tension leave her body, it was good news, they had survived, she knew she had a lot of blood on her hands, most of it she was proud of, as a leader it was expected she be strong. she had been unsure how she would have handled the guilt if she had have also been responsible for the deaths of the entire Skaikru.

"What of the Mountain Men?" Lexa didn't comment on Indra's opinion of underestimating the Skaikru. She knew that they were strong but the Mountain Men we also formidable enemies.

"Dead, they were all killed," Indra sounded far too pleased with this fact, lifting her chin slightly as she eyed the Commander for her response.

Lexa lifted a brow towards Indra as she spoke, the Mountain Men dead? She realized now why the celebrations had been continuing for so many more nights than expected, no more Reapers, even though the Skaikru had bought the cure to the table of peace, no more Reapers being made would save many more of her people. No more trigdekru being taken to be drained of their blood for medicine. Although the negotiations with the Mountain Men would have released her people she had no intentions of trusting them once they were on the ground.

"Interesting..." Lexa muttered as the information stewed in her mind for a moment. "Klark kom Skaikru?"  
The question took Indra by surprise, the survival of the sky people was one thing but it was curious to her that the Commander seemed suddenly so conserned of the welfare of the Skaikru's leader. It wasn't her place to question the Commander.  
"She has not been seen since after the Skaikru returned to their camp, it's uncertain is she even still resides there," Indra kept her response brief, there had not been any scouts posted near the Skaikru's camp, it was unsure if the shaky alliance between the two people was even still in tact, that was something Lexa would have to attend to.  
"Leave me, we will discuss these matters more in the morning."  
"Sha Heda," Indra didn't question the Commanders quick dismissal, she could see the tiredness on her face, knowing the distance to the Capitol and the time she had done it in. Bowing her head briefly Indra stepped out of the tent leaving the Commander to her thoughts and the promise of rest.

Lexa let out a breath after Indra's departure, finally allowing herself to relax slightly, her nervousness appeased a little now she knew the Skaikru escaped the clutches of the Mountain Men. Although she had no idea if they had suffered any casualties she was convinced Clarke would have been one of the survivors, she had to be.  
Turning to the small table near her she dipped her hands into the small bowl water waiting there, lifting the cloth from the water she wrung it out gently, using it to wipe off the easier to remove paint from her face, the rest would have to wait until the morning.

Shaking her head Lexa stretched out her back, stiff from the days ride she allowed herself to kick off her boots, enjoying the feel of the warm rug beneath her cold feet. Unclipping her belt she rested her weapons on the table next to her bed, always keeping them close to her. Stripping off the remains of her damp clothing she slipped under the furs, a deep sigh escaping her as her body was enveloped in warmth, she felt as though she was chilled to the bone, as her body adjusted to the warmth of her bed her mind was overwhelmed with tiredness.

Deciding not to fight it she allowed her mind to shut down, leaving her thoughts of Clarke and the Skaikru till the morning, for the first time in days she drifted off into a sound sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I own nothing The 100.
> 
> Beta by LucidLucifer

Deep in thought Lexa gently traced the brass accents on the hilt of her knife, she wasn't sure how long she had been sitting there when a movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. Glancing up at the warrior who had just let himself into her tent she tilted her head questioningly to one side.

"Heda, Klark kom Skaikru requests an audience," Ryder said. Eying the Commander carefully, he waited for a response, unsure of how she would react.

Lexa took a few moments to take in what he had just said, nodding in response. It has been weeks since anyone had seen Clarke, lack of contact with the Sky People meant lack of information, _what brought her here all of a sudden? _Her mind flooded with possibilities, reasons, finding out for herself would be the only real answer as to why she was here now.__

__Lexa analyzed Clarke as she entered the tent, she held her chin high and proud as always, her face blank of emotion, even her eyes showed no sign of her intentions. Lexa had always had trouble reading Clarke, except when she was hurt, the one emotion she had been having trouble suppressing from her features. Easing herself from her chair Lexa slid her dagger back into it's sheath, this meeting could go either way the last thing she wanted was to seem more threatening than she already was._ _

__"What brings you, Clarke of the Sky People?" She looked down at the slightly shorter girl, her voice steady, void of emotion._ _

__At first Clarke didn't reply, just eying off the Commander passively as she tried to collect her thoughts, although she had her motives set before she was here, it seemed now they had gotten lost._ _

__"How do you expect us to remain in an Alliance with your people? Do you have any idea what we had to do inside that place, just to survive?" Although Clarkes face was hiding her emotion, her voice was never very good at it, the spite was fairly obvious._ _

__"Now the Mountain Men are gone there is no longer any threat to us, or you for that matter, what you had to do was necessary of any leader Clarke, you did what you had to do, if we were to remain at odds with each other more lives would be lost on both sides, for what purpose?" Lexa wasn't exactly sure what she could say to appease the blonde, nothing she supposed._ _

__"Did what I had to," This seemed to stir a mixture of emotions in Clarke, she paced forward towards the dark haired warrior, backing Lexa up against her chair, the anger in her eyes no longer being hidden behind a blank face, she was mere centimeters from Lexa, her heavy breathing hot on her face._ _

__"You left my people there to die in the mountain, left me to die!" Clarke spat at her, her words stung like fire, the hate in her voice cutting like a knife._ _

__"I'm sorry Clarke, I didn't make this decision lightly but my people will always come first, I don't get to decide based on my feelings," Keeping her voice firm and steady she searched the crystal blue eyes in front of her._ _

__"Your feelings," Clark laughed momentarily, breaking eye contact with the dark haired woman in front of her, not before Lexa caught the anger in her eyes fade slightly._ _

__"Yes Clarke," Answering the question that wasn't even asked, placing her hands gingerly on Clarkes face and neck, her eyes softened, pleading silently with the blonde in front of her, waiting momentarily for any sign of objection. Sensing none Lexa drew Clarke to her, pressing her lips to Clarkes, for a second Clarke didn't respond to Lexa's embrace before finally opening herself to the woman in front of her, deepening the kiss._ _

__Closing her eyes Lexa became lost in the moment, the taste of Clark was so sweet, a warmth spreading through her, it happened the last time they were like this, a feeling she had almost made herself forget._ _

__She was taken by surprise by sudden pain that filled her chest, the mouth pressed to hers suddenly ice cold, jerking her head away she stared questioningly at Clark, the womans eyes were filled with darkness. Gasping for breath Lexa lowered her eyes to the small knife now buried in her._ _

__"What..." The word came from the commander shakily, her head swam with confusion and shock, collapsing backwards onto her chair as her legs became unable to hold her weight she whimpered in pain._ _

__"Love is weakness," Clarkes tone was ice cold, emotionless, she lifted the blade that had just been buried inside Lexa and eyed it momentarily._ _

__"You left my people to die," Her voice was quiet as Lexa began to slip consciousness but not before she noticed the wounds opening on Clarks body, blood seeped through her clothes, running out of centimeter deep bore holes on her body.. What was going on. Her skin paled to grey as she leaned in close to whisper one last thing as the leader of the grounders gasped for breath, for life._ _

__"You were right, I wish it had have been you I stabbed that night Lexa," Clark dropped the knife at her feet before everything went black._ _

\---

__Flinging herself into a sitting position Lexa grabbed at her chest, eyes wide she gasped for breath, it felt like a massive weight was pushing down on her. It took a few moments for her mind to come back to reality._ _

__"Just a dream..." She muttered quietly to herself, still panting gently, out of breath. Shaking her head she lifted a hand placing it on her brow, sighing softly. To her people dreams were more than just figments of their own minds and emotions, some say they are omens or blessings, if this dream was an omen then she had reason to be incredibly concerned._ _

__Trying to shake the nightmare off she slipped from her bed, grabbing a nearby fur cloak she wrapped it around her frame, shivering slightly as the cold air hit her clammy skin. Stepping outside of the tent she gave a brief glance to the man she found standing guard outside, not surprised in the least to find Ryder standing there like a loyal bloodhound on watch._ _

__"Heda," Ryder greeted the Commander quietly, meeting her gaze but knowing better then to ask what had roused the woman so early._ _

__While not visible the sun gave the dark sky a more azure tinge as the light began to creep into the world. The camp seemed to have quietened down finally, the bonfires were now burning low, aside from the few scattered guards on watch and several drunk stragglers the camp was peaceful. It had been so long since Lexa had seen her people so relaxed and at ease but then they had been at war for so long, between the Mountain Men and each other she was surprised anyone remembered what peace felt like._ _

__Glancing back to Ryder again she gave him a gentle nod, stepping out from the entrance of her tent she made her way towards the dark woods, the ground cold beneath her feet didn't really bother her as she walked, the sound of Ryders boots on the ground behind her also didn't surprise her, she knew she wouldn't really have gotten far without some kind of escort, especially while it was still dark, being the Commander._ _

__"What do you know of dreams, Ryder?" Lexa asked the warrior following behind her, different clans had different beliefs, as were they different from person to person, while some believed dreams were somewhat of a prophecy, other people just believed they were a mixture of memories and feelings._ _

__"Dreams, Heda?" He seemed unsure of the meaning of her question._ _

__"Do you believe dreams have a meaning? Or can hold a message?" Dipping her head gently to the side to avoid a branch she glanced back over her shoulder at him._ _

__"While I personally have never had any dreams come to pass, I do not believe that it is entirely impossible for them to do so, maybe not so literal, but anything that is dubious should be approached carefully, at least taken as a warning." He answered her question as he dodged the same branch she had just done._ _

__Lexa nodded in response, lost in thought for a second before the stream ahead caught her attention. Taking in a deep breath she took a moment to enjoy the scents in the early morning air, quiet singing from birds in the distance giving the first signs up the darkness breaking._ _

__Coming to the edge of the stream Lexa took a moment to take in the slow moving rippling water, it looked cold, although she didn't really need to even think about it given the cool air around her and the ground below her feet. Gently shrugging the warm fur coat from her shoulders she held it out to Ryder who took it without question. Although she knew that she could have already prepared water bought to her tent the Commander found some enjoyment from bathing in the cooler water of the river._ _

__Stepping into the cold water she couldn't help but let a small gasp escape her lips at the shock of the temperate change. Carefully keeping her balance on the rocky bottom another few steps bought her to waist deep water and she quickly lowered herself into it, knowing her body would acclimatize quicker. Cupping her hands together she splashed the cold water on her face, taking a moment to allow the water to wash away the tension of the strange dream she had experienced. While Ryder had warned on the edge of caution given the content of the dream, she found it difficult to believe that Clarke would be out for blood, though depending on the atrocities that had been committed in Mount Weather, she couldn't know for sure._ _

__Rubbing the remainder of the war paint from her face Lexa remained in the water, goosebumps forming on her skin from the cold, she knew she couldn't linger too long in water this cold, but it numbed her mind and body briefly. She took a moment to admire the gentle light filtering in through the trees as the sun began to rise, today she knew she would have to deal with the Sky People, they remained the only hurdle to the entire valley finally seeing peace._ _

__Taking one last moment to enjoy the water Lexa lowered herself below the surface, holding her breath a moment, allowing the water to wash away her concerns for a moment. Gripping the bottom of the stream with her feet she pushed herself up and out from under the water, turning to face Ryder she made her way towards the edge of the stream but came to a sudden halt as she felt the pain spread through her left shoulder. It was sudden, sharp and piercing white hot pain. In the second it took for her to see the color drain from Ryders face she knew it wasn't good, the delayed gunshot was enough to confirm it as it rang through her head. Glancing down at her shoulder the sight of blood made her feel queasy with shock, causing her to collapse to her knees in the water._ _

__"Sniper..."_ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been pretty sick the last few weeks which has made getting the motivation to write difficult, will try to post weekly or fortnightly~


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N : This Chapter is hella late I know, life has been all over the place for me but trying to get myself back into the creative mood swing! Also this chapter is un-beta'd due to my friends internet being a complete turd, so apologies for any spelling/grammatical errors, don't hurt me!

The water of the stream trickled gently as it moved slowly over the rocks, branches and debris and anything that managed to fall into it's grasp. The surface undisturbed and glassy. Small fish darted back and forth under the water, searching for their next meal while also trying to avoid becoming someone elses dinner. They schooled together in small groups making themselves appear larger. A small rock startled them, sending them scooting off in different directions, the serenity of the stream broken as ripples streamed across the surface of the water.  
  
Clarke reached down from the rock boulder she was perched on next to the stream, scooping up another small rock in her fingers, watching the small startled fish disperse, waiting patiently for them to become comfortable again before lobbing the next rock into the water to disturb them again. She wasn't sure why she was terrorizing the fish, it didn't really make much sense to her, knowing she had more important things to attend to before it got too late in the day.  
  
The former leader of the delinquents who had been sent to the ground remained lost in thought at the edge of the stream, she had been travelling in a somewhat unknown direction since she left Camp Jaha a week prior, any direction seemed better than going back. Clarke didn't really know where she was going, all she knew was that she couldn't be with her people right now, they survived the mountain but at what cost. She had murdered hundreds of people and although not all of them were innocent, having done awful things to both the grounders and the Sky People, they didn't all deserve to die.  
  
"I bear it so they don't have to," Dante's words filled her mind as she thought about what she had done at Mount Weather, while it didn't console her any the words rang true in her mind, she had to live with what she did that day but the people at Camp Jaha did not. While she was sure the events of that day would still haunt most of them. Some more than others; The look on Jaspers face as he cradled Maya after her death filled Clarkes memory. They did not pull the lever that irradiated the entire mountain.  
  
Frustrated she tossed another rock into the stream and forced herself to her feet. This was getting nothing done, she still had an hour or so of light left and still needed to find somewhere to camp for the night. Pulling the gun from her waist she ejected the magazine, checking to see how many bullets remained, she really should stop using them for hunting food and reserve what she had left to defend herself. After fighting the gigantic gorilla with Lexa she really wouldn't be surprised if there were larger and more dangerous wildlife out here.  
  
Lexa...Perhaps she should save them for her. Clarke mentally slapped herself as she felt the heat of anger build inside her, the grounder commander was the last thing she needed to be pondering about at the moment.  
  
Crouching down beside the stream again she took out her flask, filling it with the fresh water from the stream, she knew she should boil the water before consuming it to be safe but first she needed to find a place to camp and make fire.  
  
Following the water upstream Clarke hoped to find some kind of shelter and she wasn't disappointed as she found a small waterfall ahead, not far away from the stream was a small outcropping in the rock where the water had eroded out a small cave during times of flooding. Digging around in her pack Clarke pulled out a small torch, the light flickered when she switched it on, a few bashes on the palm of her hand corrected it. Carefully checking the small cave for any signs of life or if anything was living there she quickly deducted that it should be safe for at least one night before moving on.  
  
It didn't take long for her to gather some tinder to start a small fire, just enough for some warmth and hopefully small enough not to alert anyone nearby of her whereabouts, the last thing she needed right now was a run in with grounders, while Clarke was unsure of the alliance between her people and the grounders, she wasn't sure herself how she would feel about a confrontation with them. It was Lexa who gave the order to retreat at the mountain, it was Lexa she should hate, not her people.  
  
After gathering enough wood to last the night Clarke allowed herself to get comfortable by the fire, resting her back against the small cave wall, sifting through her pack once more she pulled out one of her remaining rations, some dried meat from a small rabbit she had caught a few days prior, along with her book and a few pencils. She hadn't bought herself to writing anything down in it, someone had told her a long time ago that writing about your problems could sometimes help, she couldn't remember who but it didn't really matter.  
  
Flipping through the pages of her sketchbook as she nibbled at her food she noted the changes in her drawings, from when they first landed on the ground in the dropship, her drawings were brighter, full of trees and animals and signs of hope. As the book went on however she noticed the drawings got darker and more twisted. Is this what the ground had turned them into, did coming to the ground turn them into monsters. Shaking her head she became determined to draw something less dramatic and dark, picking up the pencil beside her.  
  
It was almost dark when a snapped twig and a crunch of leaves disturbed Clarke, she froze for a moment listening carefully to the sound, it was far too loud to be a small animal. She pulled the gun from her side, cocking it, ready to defend herself if needed.  
  
The unmistakable silhouette of humans in the trees near her cave make Clarke uneasy, one or two grounders she may have been able to handle but it seemed several more than that were coming her way. She got to her feet, standing behind her small fire almost defensively as they approached, gun raised made her animosity perfectly clear.  
  
As the warriors stepped into the clearing, weapons drawn they spoke rapid Trisdeslang to each other, seeming quite unsure about the armed blonde that stood before them.  
  
"Klark kom Skaikru?" The voice that greeted her was familiar, one of the men from the back had made his way into the clearing and seemed quite surprised to see her. Clarke analyzed the warrior for a moment, the tattoo down the right side of his face giving him away easily, Nyko, Lincolns friend. He spoke briefly to the other warriors and they slowly put away their weapons.  
  
"Nyko," Clarke greeted him somewhat coldly, hesitantly lowing her gun but not putting it away just yet.  
  
"Return to camp, I am in no danger here and wish to speak to Heda kom Skaikru," Nyko nodded towards the men, assuring them he would be fine, they hesitantly disappeared back into the woods headed back downstream where Clarke assumes they had made camp for the night as well.  
  
"Why are you here?" Putting her gun away once they were alone Clarke sighed somewhat annoyed her peace and quiet had been disturbed but it could have been worse if it had have been any other grounder to find her here alone.  
  
"We are on our way to Polis, I need supplies for my healing and these men are returning to their families now they are no longer needed on the battlefield, we were setting up camp not too far downstream when we caught the scent of smoke from your fire," Not waiting for an invitation Nyko sat in front of the fire opposite Clarke, getting comfortable. "What brings you here, I expected you would be with your people."  
  
Clarke didn't respond to his question, giving a slight shrug of her shoulders as she also sat down in front of the fire, unsure of what she should say, she wasn't even sure herself of why she was running away.  
  
"You've made quite the name for yourself amungst my people now Clarke, taking down the mountain on your own, not even the twelve clans united could do that, you are a true warrior," The awe in his voice made Clarke feel slightly ill to her stomach and she couldn't help the reply that rattled from her.  
  
"I'm a murderer," She growled, displeased by the change in conversation, she may be a hero to the grounders but she sure didn't feel like one. "It was mass murder and nothing more, a warrior fights with honor, I did not,"  
  
Nyko remained quiet for a few moments, running his hand over his beard thoughtfully considering what Clarke had said to him.  
  
"I don't think so, you did what you've always done, what you had to do to save your people and you succeeded," Sincere in his comments he pulled a flask from his side and took a swig, offering it over the fire to Clarke, nodding for her to take it.  
  
"You sound like Lexa," Spitting the commanders name bitterly at him she took the flask anyway as he burst into laughter at her displeasure. Taking a mouthful of the liquid her face scrunched up at the distastefulness of it making Nyko laugh more.  
  
"She would be right, I have no doubt also," He gave Clarke a smirk before pushing himself back to his feet, sensing her lack of interest in company. "Keep the drink there's not much left anyway and it's late, but before we leave in the morning I will be back to see you, why don't you consider coming with us to Polis? We would be honored to have your company and it has to be better than wandering around the woods alone, I will get your answer in the morning," With that he bowed his head slightly to her and disappeared into the night before Clarke had any chance to reply.  
  
Eyeing off the horrible tasting booze Clarke took another mouthful, pulling the same face again but allowing herself to relax, the alcohol warming her belly and already making her head start to feel foggy, no wonder the old timers were addicted to the stuff. Stoking a little more wood on her fire she moved back into the cave trying to get comfortable on the hard rock, resigning herself to sitting up against the wall.  
  
Polis. She found herself staring at her half drawn picture from earlier, she had drawn horses in a field eating grass, they had amazed her when she first saw them, the meeting with Anya on the bridge, she had seen pictures and read stories on the Ark when it was in the sky but the real live animals before her that day were so much more amazing than she had ever expected them to be. Reminding herself that she shouldn't hate the people on the ground for Lexa's decisions she considered the offer as she rested her head back against the rock to try and get some sleep.

 

* * *

  
  
The sky looked strange under the water, it was dark with the fights signs of light blue through it as the sun was rising. The cold water was calming even though her body was brimming with adrenaline and panic, instinct screaming at her not to inhale even though her lungs burned, the water smothered all sounds asides the blood rushing through her ears. Closing her eyes she enjoyed the silence for a moment until strong arms wrapped around her pulling her back to reality as her head broke the surface of the water. Lexa gasped for breath her lungs objecting to any remote water particles that had made it causing her to cough forcefully as she tried to catch her breath.  
  
Ryder draped Lexa's cloak over her bare form before hooking his arm behind her knees and hauling her the rest of the way out of the stream, his face still pale and panicked but he knew he had to get the commander help, he took off towards the camp as quickly as he could trying to keep Lexa as steady as possible.  
  
As they reached camp Ryder knew they must have heard the shot, everyone was awake and up even though it was still early.  
  
"Get some warriors out there after the shooter and find me a healer!" He barked orders as soon as people were in earshot, everyone scattered to do as they were told immediately.  
  
Moving Lexa into her tent Ryder pushed everything off her table, laying her gently down on the hard surface gaining a deep groan from the Commander, he knew she was trying to be tough through the pain, she always was, never allowing anyone to see the cracks in her hard exterior.  
  
He could hear Indra yelling orders outside and gently squeezed Lexa's arm with reassurance, turning to Indra as she entered the tent, the rage on her face was clearly obvious she passed some clean scraps of cloth to him taking in Lexa's condition before she speaks.  
  
"What happened? I have sent a rider after Nyko he is the only healer we have, we need to stop the bleeding until he gets here," Peeling back the cloak covering Lexa she assesses the wound on the commanders left shoulder, gently easing her hand under the left shoulder blade checking for an exit wound. "The bullet is still in there, that'll make it easier to stop the bleeding but it will have to come out,"  
  
"We were ambushed at the stream just outside camp, a sniper in the woods, I thought all the Mountain Men were dead?"  
  
Ryder waiting for Indra to finish assessing the wound before he finally pressed his cloth firmly onto the wound to stem the bleeding, apologizing quietly as Lexa clenched her teeth cursing under her breath, sweat breaking out on her brow from the pain.  
  
"Send someone to the Sky Camp, see if they will help," Lexa muttered weakly, trying to keep her breathing as even and calm as possible.  
  
"For all we know they did this Heda!" Indra's anger flared in her voice, she was always quick to blame the sky people for anything suspicious Lexa noted.  
  
"Then they will not send anyone," Lexa growled back at her.  
  
"Unless they set this up in the first place, save the Commander and we owe them a debt, they can not be trusted."  
  
"Would you rather my spirit be released and risk the entire coalition instead, just do it!" Clenching her teeth once again Indra realized the commander was done arguing with her and sighed.  
  
"Sha Heda," She grumbled her submission and left the tent in a huff, again yelling orders outside.  
  
"You need to rest," Ryders face showed his worry. A smile pulled at the edge of Lexas mouth as she gazed weakly up at the warrior. Gripping his arm with her good hand she gave it a slight squeeze in reply to his earlier reassurance.  
  
"Careful Ryder, your concern could be taken as weakness," She allowed her eyes to close, a deep breath drawing a frown to her face as the pain reminded her of it's presence.  
  
"I know Heda," Ryder muttered as he felt Lexa's body relax under his hands as she lost consciousness.


End file.
